


Mealtime Reflection

by Pixial



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Contemplation, Fluff, Gen, Post Game, simple things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 19:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13577820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixial/pseuds/Pixial
Summary: Zelda and Link take a finally deserved rest in Hateno Village. Zelda thinks about things.





	Mealtime Reflection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [trashocalypse](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=trashocalypse).



The fire crackled comfortingly in the hearth, adding to the already homey feeling brought by the scent of the bubbling stew. Nearby, Link stood at the pot, stirring occasionally. It was far, far humbler than any meal Zelda had ever been a part of, and she couldn’t have been more thankful for it.

The light from the candles and the fire were dim, and if she were to turn to the window above the loft, she would see the last vestiges of day bleeding out from the sky. Link’s home-- _house_ , he would correct, for a home required more than a day or two worth of living-- was comfortable. Cozy. Safe. Heat pricked at the corner of her eyes, and she found herself wiping away a tear. She sniffed with a shake of her head, and her companion turned to look at her with a question in his eyes.

“It’s nothing,” Zelda answered, smiling despite the tears. “I’m just… I’m so happy.” 

Understanding softened Link’s face, and he nodded before returning his attention to the stew. He’d always been interested in food, but apparently having to survive on his own turned that interest into a culinary passion. If he weren’t the designated Champion, she had no doubt he’d have figured out how to open a restaurant somewhere. 

Zelda smothered a grin at that mental image and returned to her task, though her thoughts still drifted. The journey from the ruins of her former home and years of imprisonment and war to Hateno Village had been something of a blur, but nothing could ever dull the sheer _relief_ at seeing people, alive and thriving together. She knew that things had been hard for the past century, but they’d done it. They’d _lived_ , formed communities. That made everything worth it. So Hyrule and its kingdom was at an end-- perhaps forever. But its people still lived on.

It was a blessing straight from Hylia. She wasn’t much of a sacred priestess anymore, but Zelda still found herself thanking the goddess during quiet moments. She also wasn’t much of a princess, but she still had a duty. After all, _someone_ had to clean up the Calamity’s mess, and she wasn’t going force Link to bear that burden alone any longer.

Besides, she was one of the few near-experts of the ancients still remaining. In fact, she was almost an ancient herself!

A cough brought her wandering attention back to the small room. Link gestured to her carrots, and she handed him the board with the cuttings to be dropped into the soup. 

“You’ve gotten quite good at that,” she remarked.

“Lots of practice,” Link signed back with a lazy grin. “And there’s no frogs in it.”

Zelda scoffed and mimed a blow at him. “I still say you should’ve tried it. I hear it’s a delicacy.”

“Not raw!” Link looked practically scandalized.

She stuck her tongue out at him and got up to set the table. A bit silly to do for just two people, but she’d never broken the habit of seeing a well-made arrangement for a meal. It was one of many habits that no longer quite fit for her new lifestyle. Zelda frowned, considering that.

“.... Link? Do you think, once we start travelling again… Do you think the people we meet will accept us?”

“Us?” A pale eyebrow rose quizzically.

Zelda made a face. “Fine. Me. A princess of a kingdom that doesn’t even exist.”

Link set the stewpot on the table and thought for a moment. “Well… You’re bossy, over-excited, a bit of a know-it-all--”

“ _Thank_ you very much, sir knight.”

The former champion grinned at her and pat the top of her head as he walked by. “They’ll like you just fine. You saved their lives, and you’re easy to like. You’ll be okay.”

Zelda sighed and shook her head. “I hope you’re right,” she said.

Link mimicked her sigh, somehow managing to sound just like one of her old tutors as he served the meal. “I know I’m right. Just wait until we reach the Zora Domain; some of them actually _remember_ you.”

Zelda blinked as she took her first bite. That was true enough. The Zora lived longer than Hylians; surely there’d be some familiar faces. King Dorephan was a good friend of her father’s in particular. Something in her relaxed at that thought. Just because the world had changed didn’t mean it would be wholly different.

After all, the grass was still growing, the sky still rained, and fish still swam in the rivers. Change wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Zelda would find her roots in the things she still knew. She could handle this new world, and Link would help. They could rebuild things. Together.

**Author's Note:**

> This work was written for my wonderful girlfriend, trashocalypse!!


End file.
